In Conversation with Heartbeat – The band in creation

If music be the food for life, then I and many like me are sure to be the constantly hungry kind. Music is what brought these eight guys together 2 years ago. The band may have seen composition changes, but today stands with the help.

If music be the food for life, then I and many like me are sure to be the constantly hungry kind.

Music is what brought these eight guys together 2 years ago. The band may have seen composition changes, but today stands with the help of the band manager, Ajay Verma. Heartbeat, is a local band renowned for its jazz talents. But a few know of their ventures into the likes of Carnatic Rock, Fusion, Indie Pop and so on.The band has also been an active participant through most of the major regional and national events like India’s Got Talent, Rubaab and MBC Rock On to name a few. Apart from doing covers of famed songs topping the charts, the band also has an original Odia record compilation to its name. Speaking of original compositions, their songs are greatly lyricized at the thoughts of dreaming big and loving life.

Heartbeat – The Band In Creation. Why such a name?

The lead singer Kuldeep replies “We are constantly trying to better in our music. We adapt, refresh, find, invent, discover every day. We are always evolving. Always creating.”

Your band composition has seen a lot of major changes. How has that affected the band wholly?

Ajay says,”We have seen our ups and downs in the past couple of years. From changing temperaments of members to failure, we’ve witnessed it all. The key to keep the band going forth is to continue inspiring with great music and making some as well.”

What genre of music do you prefer when you are playing for an audience?

Anurag, the percussionist/vocalist retorts immediately, “It’s not that we don’t play classic or alternative rock. We follow Metallica, Lamb of God, Nirvana, etc. religiously. But our main motive is to connect to the audience around us. All we try to do is to incline them towards hard rock, but subtly. Fusion is the main key.”

How was the India’s Got Talent experience? How has it fared?

Kuldeep smirks, “Yeah. It was fun. It’s a big scene on that level. Getting accepted is one thing and going ahead in the competition is another. But we all learnt a lot from the experience. We met some great bands from across India. We did what we do our best – Played Music. But fun and educational, it was.

How do you feel about the current music scene in Orissa?

Kuldeep says, “In whatever humble way we can, we aim to bring up our Oriya culture and present it to the world. Our culture has a lot to talk about. We just strive to give it the plausible voice. It is revolutionising now, the music in Orissa. With a lot of new talents around and so much of experimentation, the audience mood has changed altogether.”

Heartbeat is greatly inspired by?

Nabajyoti, the drummer acclaims, “We are religious worshippers of Motherjane. For us as a band, they have greatly inspired and shaped us. Their music, lyrics, the feelings attached to it – everything has come a long way with us.”

As individuals, the band members are working musicians, students and professionals of other fields. One of the most intriguing members of their band – Partha, who plays the flute and the soprano and the mandolin and the saxophone (Impressed yet?), claims that he never intended to become a musician in the first place. It was either medical or IAS for him. Luckily, his dad forced him to go forth in the music scene! (No kidding)

Be whatever reason, one thing is for sure. Kurt Cobain or Kishore Kumar, Mother Jane or Mohammad Rafi, The band takes something from each of its idols and brings us a fresh new take on music. Humble people with boundless creativity to their name, Heartbeat is sure to go a long way!

And just when I thought the evening couldn’t get better, the weapons were laid out and I was a happy victim. With the rain and the piping hot Samosas, Heartbeat played. The flute, the saxophone, the drums, the voice, everything was so perfect! As many would say, “Feel waala moment.”

Kajal is the features writer for Cuttack at the Broken Scooter. Even though she has relocated to Bengaluru and lives by the Swalpa adjust maadi philosophy, she certainly misses Raghus’ Dahi Vada and the khattis at Barabati Stadium!